‘Sam’s not quitting over baby plot,’ says agent

Samantha Womack’s agent has denied claims that the actress is quitting EastEnders over the current baby swap storyline.

Reports on Thursday claimed that Samantha was quitting her role as Ronnie Branning in the BBC1 soap over the current plot, which has seen her character lose her son to cot death then swap him for Kat Moon’s newborn.

But Samantha’s agent, Michael Wiggs, insisted there is ‘no truth whatsoever’ in the suggestion that Sam is quitting for that reason.

He said: “Sam’s contract comes to a natural end later this year and she will be taking a break from the show; this has been agreed with the producers for several months.

“Sam has had an incredibly happy and fulfilling time on EastEnders over the last few years. She has huge respect for the show, writers and producers and has thoroughly enjoyed playing such a complex role that has been involved in so many tough and challenging storylines.”

An EastEnders’ spokesperson added: “The current storyline allows an exit for Ronnie Branning. Samantha Womack has been a major part of the show’s success in recent years and she will continue to work with us until her departure later this year.”

The BBC has so far received 6,000 complaints about the controversial plot.